Transportation Board bus because she was carrying two pieces of luggage.

Instead of a $3 bus ride to the airport, Ms Fiona Traynor of Toronto was forced to pay nearly $20 to hire a taxi. See Editorial, Page 4 "It was a bit of a hassle,'' Ms Traynor said. "Usually, you can bring anything on buses, so long as it is not obstructing the aisles.'' The woman, who recently tried to board the empty bus at Spanish Point after a three-week visit to the Island, had to borrow money from a friend to pay the taxi because she had already exchanged her Bermudian dollars for Canadian ones.

The driver cited safety reasons for refusing the two standard-sized suitcases, she said. "He said some drivers allowed luggage, but he didn't.'' Mr. Herman Basden, director of the PTB, said travellers carrying luggage to and from the airport are encouraged to take taxis. "The buses are not coaches'' and do not have luggage racks, he said.

But a "common sense'' approach is encouraged, he said. "One piece of luggage, we can handle that fairly easily,'' he said. "We try to accommodate whatever we can.'' How full the bus is might also influence a decision on whether to accept luggage, said Mr. Basden, who was reluctant to comment on the specific complaint because it had not been received by the PTB.

Mr. Lawrence Lachapelle, the airport general manager, was not aware of similar complaints, but said: "Basically, I think people should have the full choice of transportation options to get them wherever they want. The airport often implies luggage.'' Mr. Lachapelle said he realises buses in Bermuda are smaller than those in North America and elsewhere, but "perhaps it could be looked at to equip the buses...to accommodate some luggage.

"It's obviously a trade-off -- seats versus something that would hold luggage.''